I am finally here in Philly, it’s hilly, green and historic. I’m an old soul and this city speaks to my heart. True to its nickname, “City of Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection,” the people here have been kind, courteous and friendly. I was warmly embraced by Joyce’s family who reside in an old historic home built in 1870, which is our home base for the next week.
Took the bus downtown and met some Philly pilgrims who helped direct us to the Pennsylvania Convention Center where we grabbed our press credentials and headed into the press conference with Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family
Factoids:
- More than 100 countries attending
- Pope Francis is the fourth pope to visit the United States
- Philadelphia is the first American city to host the World Meeting of the Families
- between 1,000-1,500 extraordinary ministers to assist during the Mass with the Holy Father on Sept. 27
- pilgrims from Manila traveled 8,522 miles
Follow Gina Keating on Twitter at @Keatingrus.
